“Make Disciples Of All Nations” (Matt. 28:19). An Exegetical Study Of The Identity Of The Disciple In The Gospel Of Matthew

ABSTRACT

The clause “make disciples of all nations” (28:19), generally referred to as the Great Commission, has over the years attracted the attention of New Testament scholars. Both historical and narrative approaches have been employed to discuss it. Notably, Matthew builds his narrative around the disciples and ends on the Great Commission. Against this background, the research examines the illocutory force of μαθητεύσατε (Matt. 28:19) through an exegetical analysis of three selected texts Matt. 4:18-22, 10:1- 42 and 28:16-20. It further analyses the perlocutory effect of the Great Commission and its relevance for Ghanaian readers. Given the fact that an interpretation is not complete until it is contextualized in a real situation, the chosen text is studied from the perspective of the Legon Interdenominational Church (LIC). The communicative approach proposed by Ossom-Batsa was adopted as the theoretical framework for the study. This approach has three steps: the exegesis of the text; exegesis of reality and engagement between the text and the context of the reader. Using narrative Criticism, the three selected texts were analysed to discover the call to action suggested by the text to its readers. The second step entailed the exegesis of reality, which in this case was the views on discipleship in LIC. Finally, the findings of the two cultures were engaged in a comparative study. The analysis revealed that the disciples were ordinary people called from different backgrounds without discrimination and as such discipleship is an all-inclusive concept. Again, the disciples’ mandate was to ‘follow him’ and not any other person. The research discovered that whereas the mission of the disciples in Matt. 10 focused on preaching, the commission in Matt. 28:19 focused on teachings and instructions. The evangelist’s idea of a disciple is one who listens to obey. Furthermore, the teachings of Jesus established that discipleship involves separation from family, profession and possession. Finally, it revealed that the anyone who pursues the commission of discipleship has the eternal assurance of Jesus’ power and presence. The engagement between the text and reality revealed that the LIC, has not been able to practise fully Jesus’ model of discipleship due to present socio-cultural and economic factors. The researcher hopes that the discipleship mandate in the church will be renewed to reflect the Matthean discipleship of self-denial and ultimate followership of Jesus alone. The research, therefore, recommends a deeper study into the social and cultural context of the Matthean community for further understanding of discipleship in the Gospel. LIC’s discipleship should be inclined towards the one-on-one manner, where the disciple totally dedicates his or her time to teachings and instructions.